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TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT: Male Vocal Groups Rockapella and The Company Men Bring an Afternoon of Sleek Harmonies to the Bankhead Theater

Aug 06, 2018
In a single afternoon in August, the Bankhead Theater (2400 First Street) in Livermore, CA. will welcome two male vocal groups whose sleek harmonies and full band sound create pure vocal magic on a range of music from doo wop and classic jazz, to modern rock and hip hop. Making their third visit to Livermore, Rockapella rocks the house with just one instrument, their voices, creating an astonishing full-band sound with a capella grace. The Company Men bring a contemporary spin and vocal style to inventive compilations of music, seamlessly mixing vintage songs of yesteryear with today’s chart-topping hits. On Sunday, August 12, the two groups will take the Bankhead stage for a single matinee event that has been described as “an unrivaled and joyful musical performance that cannot be found anywhere else.”

Awarded the Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, Rockapella are masters of the vocal art form. Although current interest in a cappella largely dates back to the success of the television show “Glee” and the film “Pitch Perfect,” Rockapella’s sleek vocals have been drawing fans old and new for almost three decades. The group got their start as an enthusiastic a cappella quartet of Brown University graduates singing on street corners in 1986. They were soon seen regularly on “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” and have since appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and on stage with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Rockapella’s rich, resonant sound comes from just five guys with microphones – no instruments, no tracks, no mirrors. “People have a hard time believing it’s just us making all of that music: percussion, bass, melody and harmonies,” says Scott Leonard, the group’s chief songwriter and arranger.

The Company Men features seasoned performers who have appeared on The VOICE, the Emmy Award-winning NBC mini-series The Temptations, and in numerous Broadway and national touring productions. In addition to shows in venues from performing arts centers, to casinos and festivals, they have been artists-in-residence on Norwegian Cruise Line’s flagship The Escape in the Caribbean and will soon set sail for Hawaii. They have shared the stage with a range of artists including Mariah Carey, Colbie Caillat, Natalie Cole, Billy Idol and Sheena Easton. The Company Men are known for their uniquely interwoven blend of popular songs covering six decades of music, ranging from The Four Tops, The Temptations, Sam Cooke, The Eagles, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and Prince, to Sam Smith, Katy Perry, Adele, The Weekend, Meghan Trainor, Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, Nick Jonas, and more.

Vocal magic fills the 2018-2019 Bankhead Presents season as two other groups also make a welcome return with their smooth harmony singing. In December, The Doo Wop Project returns with a special holiday-themed show lending their voices, fresh from Broadway’s hit shows, to the music of an earlier era. In March, Masters of Soul brings back the look, choreography, style and sound that defined the legendary music of Motown in a night of familiar fun.

For tickets ($40-$70 regular, $20 students and active military personnel) or more information please visit lvpac.org or call 925-373-6800.